Ride the white flag

Campaign urges truce in cycle war

THE State Government is open to using some of the billions of dollars in the main roads budget to fund a public campaign to end the cycle war, Queensland’s peak bicycle body says.

Bicycle Queensland boss Anne Savage said yesterday she had spoken to Roads Minister Mark Bailey, who is on leave.

She said he had been positive about her proposal to launch a campaign similar to last year’s “don’t belt an ambo” scheme.

The cycle group pitched the scheme for public money to be spent changing the attitudes of drivers to recognise bike riders as “humans” rather than irritants and on the day it launched its “ride white” campaign.

It urged bike riders to obey the road rules in a bid to call a truce with motorists in a war they say has claimed eight lives and cost millions of dollars in injury payouts and economic impact in just the past year.

“Riders who want to signify their commitment to sharing the road, obeying the law and respecting fellow road users are asked to fly the white flag,” Bicycle Queensland said, launching its #whitehelmet campaign yesterday.

“You can do this any way you like (as long as it’s lawful) – fix a white piece of fabric to your bike, stick a white label on your helmet, wear a white armband. Heck, tie a white shoelace on your handlebar if it’s all you’ve got.”

Ms Savage’s call for driv- ers to give “terrified” cyclists respect stirred a hu ge reaction online.

Among the greatest irritations appear to be cyclists breaking the law by riding more than two abreast, and the fact two-wheelers did not pay registration fees.

Bicycle Queensland and the RACQ rejected calls for a rego scheme, saying it would cost more to administer than it raised and do little to improve roads or driver behaviour.